scraps . “ They won ’ t be gone long !” Jie screamed , tears running down her cheeks . She thought back to her grandmother ’ s foulsmelling herbal remedies that only made her sick , to the horoscopes that didn ’ t come true and the good luck charms that never delivered on their promises . “ Please , please , Goddess , I beg you ! You ’ re my only hope !”
Still , nothing happened . “ Damn it all ,” Jie sobbed . She fell face-down to the cool tile floor weeping until she had no more tears to cry . Her hand reached out to the cabinet under the sink . And then she heard a splash . Two slender , handless white arms emerged from the porcelain bowl like serpents rising up out of a snake-charmer ’ s basket , weeping gore from the ragged stumps at the ends of their wrists . The mutilated limbs writhed hideously , seeking something that they could grip without fingers , until at last they found purchase against the wet tile floor and pushed .
The Lady of the Latrine ascended from her reeking domain , clad in corruption and perfumed with the stench of a pig shit lagoon on a hot summer day . Her black hair was a urine-drenched tangle of rats ’ nests that leaked rivulets of pale gold down the bare skin of her shoulders . And yet , for all her filth and horror , Jie could still see traces of the country beauty she must once have been , like seeing flecks of spice from a delicious , festive meal embedded within a fresh turd . Yes , her eyes had been sliced open with a razor , and the bisected orbs bulged and dangled from their sockets , but her cheekbones took Jie ’ s breath away . Yes , her nose and lips had been cut away and discarded , but her exposed teeth were straight and small and lovely . Yes , her flesh was streaked with excrement and spotted with insect eggs , but her complexion glowed from beneath .
Jie thought that she should be afraid , but she was not . She wanted to cry , but not out of sorrow . She struggled to find some labeled box that she could put her heart into to understand its yearnings . And then it came to her . After so long in this hideously tasteful abyss of glass and tile and brushed steel , this sterilized torture chamber pretending to be a home ... she was finally in the presence of beauty again .
For the first time in a year , Jie was not afraid . She leaned in , and kissed the Goddess ’ s septic , lipless mouth .
Harold struggled to get the key into the lock on his condo door , stabbing impotently . “ What ’ s the matter , darling ?” Lily asked , slurring her words slightly . “ Too drunk to get it in ? You ’ ve had that problem before , haven ’ t you ?”
“ Shut up , my dear ,” Harold said affectionately . “ There , that ’ s got it . Whew , what ’ s that smell ?”
The condominium , which had been immaculate when they ’ d left for dinner just a couple of hours ago , was in a state of absolute squalor . Damp , rotten garbage was strewn all about , and flies buzzed to and fro . A heady reek , like rotten meat mixed with excrement , hung in the air .
“ Damn it !” Lily snarled . “ That bitch must have gotten out of her room and done this ! I ’ ll kill her for this ! I ’ ll fucking kill her !” She stormed off towards the maid ’ s bathroom in a fury .
Harold , too sated and tipsy to get out of sorts even over this defilement of his home , went to the kitchen to pour himself a drink . He supposed that Lily probably would kill the maid over this . Cleaning that up would be a little difficult , but nothing he couldn ’ t afford . The great advantage to these immigrant peasant girls was that nobody asked questions if they disappeared . As he sipped his Scotch , he wondered